Collar stiffener



Oct. 29, 1929. H. H. KRAMER COLLAR STIFFEiNER Filed Feb. 27, 1929 H 15 Framer.

Patented Oct. 29, 1929 HERMAN H. KRAMER, OF BRIGHTON, COLORADO COLLAR STIFFENEB Application filed February 27, 1929. Serial No. 348,057.

a collar but also allow it to retain a necktie in its proper position and prevent the tie from sliding downwardly.

Another object of the invention is to prevent the stiflener from slipping out of operative engagement with a collar. and allow it to be adjusted so that it may accommodate itself to the specific shape of the collar to which it is applied.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view showing a collar having the improved stifieners applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking toward the inner faces of the spaced end portions of the collar with the improved stiffeners applied thereto, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the stifieners.

The collar, which is indicated in general by the numeral 1, represents a soft collar having the usual collar band 2 formed at its ends with the usual button-holes to receive a collar button 3 and the outer fold or turndown portion 4., the ends of which terminate in spaced relation to each other. This outer told is stitched in spaced relation to its edges, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, and the stitching which extends parallel to the ends are in such spaced relation to the marginal edges that they form pockets 5. Openings 6 are formed in the inner walls of these pockets in spaced relation to the upper ends thereof, as shown in Fig. 2, and it should be noted that these openings are elongated transversely of the pockets.

WVhen a soft collar is worn, the spaced end portions or wings of the outer downturned fold become crumpled so that the collar is not neat in appearance and it has also been found that a necktie has a tendency to slide downwardly out of its proper positionand often moves downwardly to such an extent that the collar button will be exposed. Collar pins have been used to retain the end portions of the outer fold drawn toward each other with the pin extending beneath a tie and while this will serve to prevent the end portions of the outer told from spreading it does not prevent them from becoming crumpled and often the pin will slip out of engagement with one portion of the collar. In order to stifien the end portions of the outer fold of the collar and Iprevent these end portions from spreading, employ stifl'eners formed of resilient wire andadapted to he engaged in the pockets 5. These stitteners, which are indicated by the numerals 7 and 8 in- Fig. 3, are in most respects of a duplicate construction and each consists of a strand of resilient wire having one end portion bent back upon itself, as shown at 9, to form a blunt end and prevent the stiffener from forming a hole in the collar when in. use. Intermediate its length the wire strand is folded back upon itself, as shown at 10, in order to form a stafi 11 having a blunt upper end and the strand is then bent to form an arm 12 which extends downwardly at an incline in diverging relation to the staff. In spaced relation to its ends the depending arm is bent to form a horizontal portion 13 which extends in crossed relation to the staflf and the portion 13 of the stiffener 7 terminates in a depending bill 14, while the corresponding portion of the stifi'ener 8 terminates in an eye 15 to receive the bill or hook 14 and securely but releasably connect the arms of the two stiffeners. are formed of resilient wire, the downwardly bent portions 10 not only serve to provide the stalfs with blunt upper ends but they also form spring elements serving to yieldably resist movement of the arms transversely of the staffs and causing the bill to be firmly held in the eye and prevent it from accidentally slipping out of the eye. It should also be noted that by bending the arms toward or away from the staflt's and at the same time In view of the fact that the stifieners bending their lower portions so that they will extend at substantially right angles to the stafis or diagonally thereof as found necessary the stifieners may accommodate themselves to the shape of a collar and, therefore, the stifieners may be used either with a collar having its ends terminating close to ether or a collar having its ends separated tram each other difierent degrees.

When the stifieners are in use, the staff of the stiflener 7 is passed inwardly throu h the opening 6 at one end of the collar and t e stafi' of the stifiener 8 is passed inwardly through the opening in the other end of the collar. The staffs are first forced downwardly and then slid upwardly so that the rebent portions 10 at the upper ends of the staffs extend upwardly in the pockets 5 above the openings 6 and the arms 12 extend downwardly from these openings back of the collar. The portions 13 of the arms project from the ends of the collar towards each other, as

. shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and when the bill 14 is engaged in the eye 15, the two stifteners will be united and serve to prevent the wings or end portions of the collar from spreading and also serve to support a necktie and prevent it from slipping downwardly out of its proper position. Since the staffs 11 extend longitudinally in the pockets 5, they brace the end portions or wings of the collar and prevent these end portions from becoming crumpled. The stiiieners may be very easily removed from a soiled collar and transferred to another. In view of the fact that the openings 6 are elongated transversely of the pockets, the folded upper end portions of the staiis may be easily passed through the same and also the arms allowed to have a certain amount of transverse movement necessary in order to allow spring action to take place and retain the bill in the eye.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A collar stiifener comprising a strandof resilient wire bent back upon itself intermediate its length to form a stafi having a doubled upper end, and an arm extending downwardly from the lower end of its doubled portion diagonally away from the staff, said arm being bent intermediate its ends to form a portion extending transversely of the stafi in crossed relation thereto and at its free end formed with means adapted to be releasably engaged with the arm of a companion stifiener. v

2. A collar stiffener comprising a stafi', and an arm extending diagonally from the'stafi' adjacent its upper end at a downward incline and having its lower portion bent back and extending transversely of the stafi in crossed relation thereto and at its free end formed with means adapted to be releasably engaged with the arm of a companion stiffener.

3. In combinati0n,.a collar having an outer fold formed at its ends with pockets having their inner walls formed with openings spaced from their upper ends, and stiffeners for the collar each having a staff entirel disposed within the pocket and inserte into the pocl ret through the opening thereof and avmg its upper portion extending within the pocket above the opening, an arm extendmg from the staff and projecting outwardly through the opening, the arms of the stifieners having portions projecting from the ends of the collar and ada ted to be releasably engaged with each 0t er to releasably connect the stifieners.

4. In combination, a collar having an outer fold formed at its ends with pockets having their inner walls formed with openings spaced from their upper ends, and stifi'eners for the collar each having a staff entirely disposed within a pocket and inserted into the pocket through the opening thereof and having its upper portion extending within the pocket above the opening, an arm extending diagonally from the stafl at a downward inclme and projecting through the opening and having its lower portion bent to extend in crossed relation to the staii, the said arm proyecting from the ends of the collar and adapted to be releasably engaged with each other.

In testimony whereof I aifix m signature.

HERMAN H. KRAME [n 8.] 

